“My 61 Memorable Games” Exposed As Fraud
Submitted by
RookHouse on Mon, 03/30/2009 at 6:47pm.
Ever since the fraudulent book titled “My 61 Memorable Games” reared its ugly head in December of 2007, there has been much debate and speculation as to whether Bobby Fischer actually had anything to do with it.
Sales for the book have only been seen on the troubled classifieds website “Craig’s List” and it has no ISBN number or publisher affiliated with it. Various entities have been desperately attempting to promote the book as authentic on multiple chess forums and sales for the minimal copies in circulation have ranged from approximately $100 to $2,000.
The debates over its authenticity have been fierce and proof of its validity has been endlessly sought. Finally, Einar S. Einnarson (a friend and compatriot of Fischers during his final years in Iceland) has come forward in a series of e-mails to Edward Labate and GM Yasser Seirawan to put this debate to an end, once and for all.
With permission from one of the parties that was privy to these e-mails, they are reproduced for all of you below:
From: Einar S Einarsson
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 11:39 AM
To: ‘Edward Labate’
Cc: ‘Yasser Seirawan’
Subject: RE: Were you, or anyone that was in contact with Bobby his last two years aware of…
Good morning to you Mr. Labate
As you are probably already aware I sent my comments about the big fake scandal reg My 61 Memorable Games to Yasser earlier today and a copy to you for information.
But there were other questions or items in your message which you wanted some inside info about.
It is absolutly absurd theory or assertion that Bobby Fischer had been working on a classical chess project or writing or revising his book of My 60 Mem. Games, after he settle down in Iceland in the spring of 2005, after being given an Icelandic citizenship and released from his kidnap detention in Japan. Still he was eager to show us, his confidant friends, some alleged pre-arranged games from his collection of games between Russian grandmasters. He had fully given up on and was not interested in classical chess, the old chess, as he used to call it, which he deemed to be finished for professional chessmaster because e.g. of its computerization.
Only once he sat down with me opened his travel chess set and studied for a while a game which I had pointed out to him, from NIC 2005/4, between the US Champion Hikaru Nakamura and Krishnan Sasikiran, played in Copenhagen 2005, 1.e4 e5, 2 Qh5 !? a move which he found hilarious and a good example of how frustrated professional chessplayers of today had become, allowing themselves to break all traditonal theories and tactics in chess in their severe search for new moves, a clear witness of that the classical chess was emtied or finished.
Although I was not personally involved, but GM Fridrik Olafsson, former President of FIDE who acted as a mediator. I followed Ed Trice attempt to get in touch with Bobby Fischer and he sent me a copy of his proposed deal. Mr. Trice never saw or got in personal contact with Bobby, although he was willing to pay a fee of first 10.000 then 25000 dollars for a meeting with him. All these talks or attempts came to nothing, Bobby was not interested at all and had a feeling of mistrust in the gentelman.
I am truly amazed to see and read about all these speculations and gossip which has been written about Bobby lately, mostly in the States, some writers apparently trying to fool the chess world at the same time. It is about time to give him and this a break …
With best wishes
Einar S. Einarsson
former chairman of
The RJF Campaign and Support Group.
PS. I have written a long article: “Freeing Bobby Fischer”, about our campaign for his release and providing him an Icelandic Citizenship and his life in Iceland, which has already been published partly in Russian 64 Squire Magazine, but I am considering to print the English version as a small booklet with related many photos of mine. It has not been published on the Internet, so perhaps you would be interested to introduce it or sell it on your website, it could still be mailed from me in Iceland. What do you think about that? I attach photos of two commemorative cards we had made for Bobby´s memorial service last year . Enjoy.
From: Einar S Einarsson
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 8:44 AM
To: ‘Yasser Seirawan’
Cc: ‘Edward Labate’; ‘Gardar Sverrisson’
Subject: Comment on: My Sixty One Memorable Games
Dear Yasser,
What a nice surprise to get in personal contact with you again. I tried to track you down in Seattle some 4 years ago just to find out that you were not there anymore but in Holland.
I and some other chess fans (perhaps fanatics is the right word) were following closely with excitement the games in the match Anand vs Kramnik and your fine programme direct from Bonn last October We gathered for every game at “Gallery Skak”, a nice quarters of ours, as you can see from the attached photos. I even sent you a message which you commented on in the air to our enjoyment, but didn’t get my name in as the message space was too limited, so you were not aware who was on the line.
Now to the subject:
We at the former RJF Campaign and Support Group are surprised to find and hear about these absurd speculations that our protégée Bobby Fischer had been involved in writing this new and changed publication of his famous book, now called “My 61 Memorable Games”, as it ought to have been quite obvious and absolutely clear to everybody that it was a fake and a big scam from the very start. Already in December 2007 both Gardar Sverrisson, Fischer´s closest and most loyal friend, and I stated in a short news interview with Morgunbladid here in Reykjavik that Mr. Fischer “had nothing at all to do with it”.
When this news broke in the middle of December 2007, that a book with that naming had been listed on eBay, it made Bobby more sad than angry to hear about it. At that time his health was deteriorating, he had just recently returned home after spending some 7 weeks in hospital due to his fatal illness. Learning about that there were still some conmen out there prepared to violate his personal rights so brutally once again with this elaborate hoax made him really sad but he was not surprised. Still he didn’t want to dignify that rumour with a public comment. That he had supposedly written 12 pages foreword and preface dated Nov 9. 2007, while suffering in hospital is preposterous. It is therefore completely clear, beyond any doubt, the full truth and nothing but the truth, that Bobby Fischer had nothing at all to do with this outrageous publication. It is obscene hoax.
Furthermore I can personally verify who is behind and at least involved with this scam, although it is already clear to most people, as a gentleman named Ed Trice approached me Nov 8 2007 and asked “for some recent photos of Fischer with some other things that nobody else is aware of since he has been in Iceland” As Mr. Trice had been in touch with me earlier on reg. the possibility of a Gothic Chess Match between Karpov and Fischer and his visit to Iceland and possible second visit with Pal Benko and Susan Polgar, although I have never met with the guy, I was foolish enough to trust him and sent him as a friendly favour “confidentially and for his eyes only” a recent photo of mine of Bobby Fischer, which I took with his consent at a famous fish restaurant, 3 Frakkar, downtown Reykjavik and later proved to be the last portrait of the deceased. (Attached) Just a month later this very photo appeared on the cover of this obscenity scam publication.
The last couple of days I have been speaking at length with my pal Gardar Sverrisson about this and Fischers last months and days, as Gardar and his family was taking care of him a lot. Gardar is willing to take a phone call from you if needed for further prove that this book is a scandalous fake. He would very much like to know if somebody has ever seen a copy of it in print. Gardar´s phone number is : +354 ### #### or ### #### (mobile)
I hope this explains and casts some light on this delicate matter.
With best wishes
Einar
+354 ### #### or ### #### mobile
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